Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on Upcoming Senate Vote to Take Away Cancer Screenings and Birth Control from American Women

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The most extreme elements of the Republican Party are not focused on jobs or on the economy, but on taking away women’s access to basic health care — cancer screenings, birth control, and annual exams.

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April 11, 2011

“Having failed last week to eliminate breast exams, cancer screenings, and birth control that millions of American women count on, these extremists insist on pushing another attack on these critical health services with a new vote against Planned Parenthood this week.

“This is just one more indication of how far out of the mainstream the House leadership is, and how they would sacrifice the health and well-being of women to pursue their extreme political agenda.

“Any elected official who votes for this extreme proposal is voting against access to lifesaving cancer screenings and birth control.

“Planned Parenthood does not want one woman to be diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer, when our health centers could have caught that cancer through early screening. Every year we provide nearly one million screenings for cervical cancer and 830,000 breast exams. We also provide affordable birth control to nearly 2.5 million patients and nearly four million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV testing.

“The continued misleading attacks on Planned Parenthood expose a cynical and coldhearted willingness to further a divisive political agenda even if it will deny women access to lifesaving cancer screenings and birth control.

“Thankfully, the president and the Senate have made clear this extreme proposal is unacceptable, and we are confident that the Senate will stand firm in its commitment to American’s women and reject this extreme proposal.”